The report by accounting giant Ernst & Young warned that Australia is at risk of falling behind other countries unless it can roll out digital technology to improve connectivity.
“This lower readiness ranking is due largely to the high average cost of accessing digital technology across the country,” the report said. “Four out of 10 consumers and six out of 10 digital opinion leaders believe the Australian digital economy is less advanced than other leading countries.”
In 2014 Australia ranked 7th globally for Internet penetration, yet affordability of digital access was ranked 49th – more expensive than the vast majority of developing economies.
The report attributes the poor performance to a combination of factors like slow Internet speeds and lack of robust, digital infrastructure.
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